Twist in the Tale: Fairy Tales
by savethemadscientist
Summary: Fairy Tales with a twist.
1. Contents

**Twist in the Tale: Fairy Tales**

**Contents**

1-Cinderella

2-The Little Mermaid

3-Sleeping Beauty

4-Beauty and the Beast

5-Rapunzel

6-The Twelve dancing Princesses

7-Snow White and the seven dwarfs

8-Little Red Riding Hood

9-Jack and the Beanstalk


	2. 1: Prologue

**Author's Note: Finally I have redone chapter one of Cinderella and have posted it here. I apologise now if there are any grammar mistakes, sadly it's not something I am very good at. However if you spot a mistake could you tell me what it is so that I may rectify it as soon as possible. Hopefully now that chapter one is done it will not take me as long to write the next chapter.**

**Cinderella**

**Prologue**

Most Cinderella stories start 'Once upon a time' but this one doesn't. Her name isn't even Cinderella, its Katie.

Our story begins many years ago in a kingdom called Elisedd. The kingdom was prosperous and happy with a king and queen who the people loved. The king and Queen had a son who was married and they had a baby of their own, a daughter. The kingdom had been overjoyed at the birth of the princess but sadly this joy did not last forever. It happened when the princess was ten months old. Late one night the crown prince and princess were asleep when there was a knock on their bedroom door. It was an urgent knock and so the prince got to answer the door. A servant was at the door.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour your majesties, but it's important that you come with me immediately" he said.

"What? Why? What's going on?" the prince asked.

"I'm sorry, I can't explain right now but you and your family have to leave as soon as possible. So please get dressed, pack what you think you need and meet me at the entrance. I will get a carriage ready" he replied.

"But" began the princess, who was now stood behind the prince.

"I'll explain everything once you're safely in the carriage" the servant said. The two of them nodded and half an hour later they were in the carriage, sat opposite the servant. The princess had their daughter in her arms.

"So, what's going on?" the princess asked.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but a short while before I came to, the king and queen, your parents" he said looking at the prince, "were found murdered in their chambers. The servants all feared you would be next so we left a false trail that meant we could get you and your daughter out before they found you". The prince and princess gasped.

"Why would someone do that?" the prince asked.

"Well, the king and queen have feared that someone would attempt to take over the kingdom by killing them. So they set up a plan should anything happen to them, you would be taken care of" the servant said.

"That sounds like my parents, always planning ahead. Do you have any idea who it was?" the prince asked, fearing he knew the answer already.

"I have a feeling you already know" the servant replied.

"Are you a hundred certain it was him?" the prince asked.

"Yes, there's no doubt about it. The stench of darkness in the room was extremely strong, so strong that it could only have been one person" he said.

"It was as I feared then, I had kept telling them that they should have stripped him of his powers as well as banishing him but they didn't listen, and look what happened to them" the prince said. The baby in the princess's arms stirred momentarily and then fell asleep again.

"Will the people be alright?" asked the princess.

"As long as they keep their heads down until the chosen day then they should survive" he explained.

"What do you mean by the chosen day?" the prince asked curiously.

"There is a prophecy that a child born on the night of a full moon with a heart filled with light will defeat the wizard with a heart full of darkness" the servant explained. The princess looked at the prince.

"There was a full moon the night she was born" she said.

"I do not know when this will happen, or if I will live to see it but what I do know is this, the young princess is going to have a tough life ahead of her" the servant said. A few minutes of silence went by.

"What do we do?" the princess inquired.

"If she is the chosen, which I think she is, she will need to be prepared, both physically and mentally. It will be your choice as to when you start training her. It depends on when you think she will be ready" the servant answered

"Now I know why Christabelle gave me this for her" the princess said, looking at a gold heart shaped locket. The back was flat while the front was raised with swirling patterns engraved in it. On the left side there was a small hinge with an opening mechanism on the opposite side. Inside there was space for two pictures, one on the cack piece and one on the front. Currently there was nothing inside but eventually there would be.

"So, where are we going?" the prince asked. The servant looked around nervously before answering.

"We're going to Aidan where you will go undercover as servants in Baron Fairfax's mansion" the servant replied.

"Fairfax, his wife is a good friend of mine" the princess said.

"The king and queen knew this, which is why you're going there. They knew the Baron and Baroness would protect the three of you. Also they have two twin daughters that are a couple of years older than your daughter and so should be perfect company for her" he explained.

And so the carriage continued on its journey from the royal palace, in the north of Elisedd to the Fairfax mansion, that was just south of the border between Elisedd and Aidan.

Hours go by during which the prince and princess share holding the baby while the other one sleeps. After the sun has climbed high into the sky there is a sudden rumbling that jolts the carriage, waking up the prince and servant.

"What was that?" the princess asked, scared.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out" the prince said. He climbed out the carriage and looked in the direction of the noise. He gasped at what he saw.

"Honey, what is it?" the princess asked after a minute.

"Louise, you're going to have to look at this yourself" he replied. She climbed out of the carriage and stood next to the prince. What she saw not only scared her, but chilled her to the bones.

"Oh my word, Henry, I'm sure those3 weren't there before" she said. Then the baby in her arms started crying and Louise started rocking her to get her back to sleep. The two of them were staring at a huge mountain range that had suddenly emerged.

"Your majesties" started the servant as he got out the carriage, "we really should get going". They all quickly got back into the carriage and resumed their journey south.

Meanwhile back at the royal palace it had been discovered that the remaining members of the royal family had escaped with a servant. This had angered the evil wizard Dracona and so he had created the mountain range that was now dividing the two kingdoms. He wanted to make sure that the baby princess could not return to fulfil the prophecy for he too believed that it was she the prophecy spoke of. From that day forward travelling to and from Elisedd was very tightly controlled, everyone coming and going was made to swear not to tell anyone what was really going on in Elisedd. However that did stop rumours from spreading, especially the rumour that the crown prince, princess and their baby had managed to get out of Elisedd and were now hiding in Aidan. This gave the people hope that someday their rulers would return and lead them out of darkness. Time went by as the people tried to come to terms with the loss of their royal family. Meanwhile in a small house a few of miles from the mountain range, a young couple were celebrating their child's first birthday. The mother, Louise Desmond, was kind and caring. She was a woman of average height and build with soft chocolate brown hair and gentle blue eyes. Her skin was quite pale but not pale enough that she looked ill. The father, Henry Desmond, was the opposite in looks. His hair was dark blonde and his eyes were green like the colour of grass. He was slightly taller than her and well built with golden skin. Their child, Katie, was a mix of them. She had auburn hair and golden skin. Her eyes were her most beautiful features. They were green with blue rings in the centre near the pupils. Although they did not have much, they were content with what they had. Sadly happiness doesn't last forever. The summer of Katie's tenth year had been hot and dry causing the harvest to be half of what it should have been. That meant that food would have to be rationed come winter time. The little food that there was, was shared equally among the villagers. The Baron and Baroness did all they could to ensure that as many people as possible survived the cold but alas their efforts were in vain. Many people died that year including Katie's parents. It was the last year she celebrated the winter with them. Many things changed after the funeral, the first was that Katie was moved into a room in the attic in the Fairfax mansion. Another couple moved into her old home and they became friends with Katie. Also because the Baron suspected that dark forces had been behind the strange weather since summer, her name was changed to Grace to try and hide her. He parents had started teaching her to read and write as well as other useful skills. After her parent's death, the baron and Baroness took charge of her education. In between chores she spent time in lessons with their own two daughters, Geraldeen and Esmeralda. When she turned thirteen, the Baron started teaching her to use a sword. Lessons would be while the Baroness, Esmeralda and Geraldeen were out. Many of the other nobles ridiculed the Baron and Baroness for their teaching a servant girl. Often when Grace went out to the local town she would hear people whispering about her, how strange she was but she ignored them. Like the Baron and Baroness, she didn't care what people thought of her. One of Grace's main duties was to sweep out the ashes and cinders from the fireplace. This made her golden skin turn a dark shade of soot grey. This dirt made her eyes almost glow. Over the next few years Grace grew into a beautiful young woman.

**Author's Note:** **Well the first chapter is finished. For those of you wondering, Elisedd is derived from 'elus' meaning "kind". I chose this name as it represents the kindness of the people. Aidan means fiery and represents the fiery spirit of the kingdom. I chose to have the winter solstice as the festival rather than Christmas, please don't hate me for it. I do celebrate Christmas just not the Christian side of it. Please review.**


	3. 1: Chapter One

**Chapter One**

It began like any other trip to the market. Grace was wearing her usual work dress. This was navy blue with a shoulder to shoulder neckline. The sleeves were three quarter length and she was wearing a plain black corset on top of her dress. The skirt was full length and she was wearing a white apron that was slightly shorter than the skirt and was tied in a neat bow just below her back. There was a pocket on this apron. Her hair was tied up in a bun on the top of her head and was covered by a dark purple piece of material. This was folded into a triangle shape with the long edge at the top of her forehead and the two ends tied under her hair.

On this day the market was full of people shouting, advertising their wares. There were shops and stalls all over the area. Grace was walking around the market place seeing what was for sale after finishing the Fairfax's shopping. She caught the odour of fresh fish as she walked past a fish stall. She quickly walked past it, hoping to find a sweeter scent. Next she stopped a confectionary stall to smell them. Sadly she couldn't purchase any as she didn't have any money. She then passed a stall selling fresh fruit next to one selling fresh vegetables. She caught the scent of freshly baked bread that was coming from nearby. She stopped for a moment. The chorus of buyers and sellers was sounding everywhere, rising up like a leaf caught in a summer's breeze, surrounding Grace wherever she went. She wandered over to the brad stall which had a light brown cover. The seller was a coloured man named Graham wearing a baggy and old white shirt as well as a small cap on the back of his head. He had a long, dark brown curly beard and a full head of hair the same colour and equally curly. He was a friend of Grace's.

She walked up to the stall and greeted him.

"Good morning" She said.

"Good morning Grace, it's lovely to see you out and about on such a fine day." He said.

"It's lovely to see you too. How are your family doing?" she asked him.

"They are fine. It was my son's birthday yesterday, he's five now. Do they need any bread today?" Graham asked her.

"No, not today" she said while shaking her head, "but I'd like a slice for myself" she continued as she reached into her apron pocket for the money.

"Here" he said as he was cutting her a slice, "don't worry about the money, you deserve this after the kindness you have shown my family for years".

"Are you sure?" she asked him.

"Of course I am" he replied as he handed her the bread.

"Well, if you're sure, thank you" she said as she took the bread from him and put it in her basket.

"Now I need to get going, I've been gone too long. The ballroom needs cleaning for the young mistress's dancing lesson this evening" she explained.

"And you will probably get dragged in as well" he said.

Grace smiled widely and nodded, knowing that the instructor would be quiet likely to ask her to join in with the lessons. What she hadn't told anyone was that secretly she enjoyed having lessons with Esmeralda and Geraldeen.

"Farewell for now" she said and then she started making her way back to the Fairfax's mansion.

Whilst walking away, she noticed a young dark haired boy walking shiftily around like a fox about to pounce on its prey. Suddenly he grabbed a loaf of freshly baked bread and ran for it. Two big and beefy guards were on patrol in the vicinity when they heard the cry of the stall owner.

"What's the problem sir?" enquired one of the guards.

"That kid stole a loaf of bread from me" Graham cried while pointing to the thief. They ran after the kid, who took a sharp turn down and alleyway, but the guards kept running in the same direction. Grace stood where she was, curiously wondering who they were chasing after as the thief had vanished. After a minute she shrugged off her curiosity, turned around and started heading back to the mansion. All of a sudden someone viciously grabbed Grace's arms, she turned; suddenly her heart skipped a beat as she saw that the person who had grabbed her arm was one of the guards who had been chasing the thief.

"Stay where you are thief, you're under arrest" said the guard holding her arm.

"I'm not a thief" Grace exclaimed. She slapped the guard's hand which made him let go and she ran off.

She ran as fast as she could while dodging people, stalls and other objects. She heard screams as she was running. She dodged people wearing different coloured clothes and stalls that had a variety of coloured tops. She looked back for just a second to see if the guards were following her. All of a sudden she bumped into something; a man. He was wearing a long black cloak so Grace couldn't see his face. Underneath this she saw a plain shirt with the top two buttons undone and the long sleeves rolled up. He was also wearing a pair of plain black trousers that were dirty and torn. Grace looked back again and saw that the guards had caught up. One of the guards grabbed hold of her arms and started dragging her away.

"Hey" yelled the stranger. The other guard pushed the stranger but then suddenly stopped for some reason. The guard that was holding on to Grace let go and the guards walked off while apologising. Grace stood where she was, completely confused by what had just happened.

"What was that all about?" quizzed Grace.

"Nothing, it's not important" replied the stranger.

"Well, whatever it was, you just saved me, thank you" she said.

"It was nothing, really, sometimes guards arrest the wrong person" he explained. They stood in silence for a minute looking in the direction the guards had walked in. The stranger turned to face Grace.

"So, what's your name?" he asked. Grace turned to look at him.

"I'm not really sure I should talk to you, I've only just met you and I can't see your face" Grace said uncertain of his reaction. He looked around where he was stood and she could see he was worried about something.

"What are you worried about, it doesn't matter who you are, people here don't care. You could be a member of the royal family and no one would know" Grace explained. She heard him sigh and then he slowly lowered his hood. When it had been fully lowered Grace looked at his facial features. She could see his eyes were hazel with green flecks and he had dark brown hair that reminded her of chocolate that was short. His skin was fair and he looked about her age apart from him being a few inches taller than her but then she was tall for a woman at five foot ten inches. She guessed that he must have been six foot two in height.

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" she said to him. He shook his head and looked at her. The first thing he noticed about her was that her face was covered in soot but this seemed to make her eyes glow and were beautiful. They were neither blue nor green but a mix between the two. He couldn't see her hair because it was covered by dark purple fabric.

"Well," he said a couple of minutes later, "now that you can see my face would you be willing to tell me your?"

"It's Grace and yours is?" she asked.

"Richard" he replied while he held his hand out for her to shake. She took his and shook it.

"It was nice meeting you, but I really hope to get going" Grace said.

"I could walk you home if you wanted" Richard suggested.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a nuisance" Grace said.

"Yeah, I'm sure, it's not like I'm in a rush to get anywhere" Richard explained. Grace contemplated this for a moment.

"Okay, sure, you can walk me home" Grace said, "It's this way" she continued pointing towards the woods. The two of them walked out of the and into the forest that separated the town from the Fairfax's mansion.

As they walked into the forest the warmth of the sunshine was blocked by the canopy of the trees surrounding them as they walked. There was a warm breeze flowing around that was the carrying the sweet scent of the flowers with it as the two people followed a narrow path through the greenery. Silence surrounded them as they continued their journey. This continued for several minutes during which Richard wondered if he should tell her. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear her speak.

"Excuse me? Did you say something?" he asked her.

"I asked if you were ok" she replied.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking" Richard replied.

"Was it anything important?" Grace asked him, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"No, not really" he answered absentmindedly. A few moments of silence followed.

"So what happened back there?" he asked her.

"I don't really know, one minute the guards were chasing a thief, the next they were chasing me" Grace explained. Richard didn't know what to say to Grace afterwards and so remained silent.

"Thinking again?" Grace asked a few minutes later.

"No, just enjoying the silence" he replied.

"Oh, okay" Grace said, deciding to not talk so she could hear what he heard. After a few minutes she started hearing the chirping of birds flying in the canopy above her. There was also the sound of rustling leaves caused by the movements of small mammals scuttling around. Grace stopped for a moment when she saw a small patch of undergrowth moving a few feet in front of her. She wondered what was causing this and continued to loom at the movement whilst slowly moving towards it. A few moments later a squirrel emerged from the bushes, its nose twitching to smell its surroundings. The squirrel's fur was a vibrant mix of red and brown. Grace crouched and held her arm out, inviting the squirrel to move closer, which the squirrel did, although tentatively. As the moments passed the squirrel became braver and eventually sat on the palm of her hand.

"You're a friendly little fellow aren't you" she said whilst stroking the squirrel's fur with her finger. She continued doing this for several minutes.

"You must be new here" Grace said. She stopped stroking the squirrel's fur and stood up.

"You can all come out now, he's not going to hurt you" Grace told the bushes surrounding them. This baffled Richard, he was sure they were alone. Then there was more rustling around them in the undergrowth around them.

"I'm going to assume that they know you" he said, looking at the rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks and other small mammals that were approaching Grace.

"Well, I always go through here when travelling between the mansion and town, I'm normally alone though" she answered. Grace put her basket down, sat down and then all the animals surrounded her. Richard leant against a tree to watch. Every so often he'd hear her say things like "really, that's interesting" and "So that's what happened". If Richard wasn't seeing it he wouldn't have believed it, Grace was talking to the animals. He had never heard of anyone being able to do that. He was going to think on this some more but then he saw movement and a short while later a fox emerged. Richard remained still but prepared to jump in and help if needed. However this would not be necessary. The fox walked up to Grace and simply sat down next to her. Surprisingly none of the animals fled from the fox or even looked nervous even though it is well known that foxes prey upon some of the animals present. A moment later Grace realised the fox was there and began scratching its head.

"What are you doing here? Sunset isn't for another few hours" she asked the fox. The fox growled gently.

"Awe, that's so sweet, you wanted to see me. Are you sure you're a fox? You act like a cat to me sometimes" she asked, thinking about Geraldeen's cat Felicia who's favourite thing was having behind her ears scratched. One of the things Grace liked was that when she was at home Geraldeen cared for her and when she wasn't the servants took turns looking after Felicia. Just then she noticed the position of the sun and realised that she had dawdled too long and needed to get back to the mansion as soon as possible.

"I'm sorry my friends, it seems I've tallied too long, it's time I left" Grace said, standing up. A few moments later the animals disappeared into the bushes and Grace picked up her basket again.

"Shall we?" Grace asked. Richard nodded and the two of them continued on their journey. Half an hour later they came out of the forest and arrived at the entrance to a huge mansion. The two of them stopped and turned to face each other.

"Thank you" Grace said,

"You're welcome" Richard replied. Then he kissed her cheek, making Grace blush. Then she walked into the mansion to begin her chores. Richard didn't know why he had kissed her cheek. What Grace didn't know was that the reason Richard had had his face hidden was that he was afraid of being recognised. After all most of the nobles would find him strange if they found he preferred talking to peasants instead of the nobility. Grace had been right about the royal family, no one had recognised him and he was the prince.

Suddenly someone popped out from behind a nearby tree. Richard felt his heart skip a beat as he turned around until he realised who it was. It was John, his older and wiser best friend. John was a tall, well built man with golden blonde hair and sea blue eyes. His skin was fair. He was twenty one years old, three years older than Richard.

"John, were you following me?" Richard questioned his friend.

"Of course I was, remember? Your mother did charge me with keeping an eye on you" John explained.

"Oh yeah, I forgot" Richard said. He leant against a nearby tree and sighed. John looked at his friend and frowned.

"You like her, don't you?" he asked Richard.

"I can't really say for sure, I barely know her" Richard replied.

"You kissed her that says it all. Your mother is NOT going to like this" John said.

"She's a peasant and I'm a prince, it wouldn't be allowed. When the time comes my parents would want me to marry a princess or a lady of nobility" he said and then he groaned. There were a few moments of silence.

"Richard, the carriage is parked nearby. We'd better get back before your mother gets really mad at us for being gone so long" said John. They walked the short distance to the carriage. The carriage was dark brown with gold around the edges. The doors on either side were rectangle with a square gap for a window in each door. Underneath the window in each door there was a royal crest, which told people who saw it that this was a royal coach. Pulling the carriage was a single brown horse. Richard glanced back at the mansion before opening the door and getting into the carriage. John got in after him and shut the door behind him. The driver snapped the reins and the carriage began the journey back to the castle.

First the carriage drove through the woods separating the mansion from the town. Afterwards it drove through the town, passing by the market. Then it drove through the thick woods that separated the town from the castle. After an hour the carriage arrived at the castle. It drove through the enormous brown, wooden gates that marked the entrance to the palace. The carriage drove up the pathway to the palace, around the central water fountain and pulled up by the stairs that led to the main entrance doors to the palace. The staircase was white as well as being wider at the bottom than at the top. At the top of the stairs were a set of large majestic pale blue doors John and Richard emerged from the carriage, walked up the stairs and through the doors after they were opened for them. The doors were shut behind them. Inside the there was a long corridor with navy blue carpet and deep red wallpaper. There curtains were a deep purple that matched the wallpaper and carpet perfectly. There were several doors coming off this corridor. All along the corridor there were paintings of the royal family, past and present. There were paintings that showed the prince growing up. In between these paintings there were candles on the wall. At this moment in time they were not lit as it was daytime.

A small fat man who worked in the palace walked up to John and Richard as they walked down the corridor. He was wearing a white shirt that was fully buttoned up and a pair of long black trousers.

"Yours highness, the king and queen wish to see you. They are in the Library" he said. He then walked away. John and Richard walked along the corridor and went through the last door on the left. In this room the carpet, wallpaper and curtains were all the same colours as in the corridor. All the curtains were drawn back at this time as it was still daylight. There was a chandelier hanging from the centre of the ceiling that would be lit when the sunset later. There were also two staircases with a landing separating them that led to the second floor. The two men walked up the stairs and through the door at the top of them. Beyond the door there was another corridor identical to the one below. They walked straight across the hall and through another door.

This was the library. The room was filled with many floor to ceiling bookcases that were filled with books on any subject you could think of. In the middle of the room there was a large table with chairs around it. The king and queen were sat at this table. From the looks on their faces Richard could see that he was in a lot of trouble. The queen was scowling furiously while the king had a look of being absentminded on his. The queen was forty three years old, had brown eyes and hair as well as fair skin. The king was like the queen in looks but was forty four years old not forty three. For a few moments there was silence throughout the room. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, the kind of silence that happens before being told off. It was broken by the queen.

"Richard, where have you been? We've been worried sick about you!" yelled the queen. Richard stood where he was, silent, while staring at the floor.

"Well?" demanded the queen.

"I . . . I . . . I was in town, looking around" murmured Richard, afraid of what his parents might say next.

"Richard, we keep telling you, you're a prince, you can't wander around in the open without people noticing. I have noticed your wearing a cloak but that just makes you look more suspicious" she bellowed at him.

"What am I supposed to do? Stay in the palace all day. I can't do that, I would go insane" he shouted back.

"Richard, we didn't ask you to come here to shout at you. There is a question at hand about your birthday so would you sit down and listen to our proposal" he said calmly.

"Alright" he agreed whilst pulling up a chair to the table and he sat down.

"As it's your eighteenth birthday, we are planning a much larger celebration than normal" the king said.

"How much larger?" Richard asked, suspicious that his parents were planning something.

"Several balls over a period of a month" the king answered.

"How many?" Richard asked. The king and Queen looked at each other.

"There will be one every two days" the King replied.

"Isn't that a bit excessive for celebrating a birthday" Richard asked.

"Yes, but remember the kingdom is also celebrating that it's been two hundred years since the end of the war" the queen explained. Richard thought for a few minutes.

"That makes sense. Just don't expect me to make any announcements about engagement at the end of the last ball. I know the traditions but I am only turning eighteen, so I've got a few more years before I need to get married" Richard said. He then left the room followed by John. The king and queen looked at each other and then started planning all the details.

Back at the mansion Grace had walked in by the main entrance. She then leant against a wall and sighed dreamily.

"So who's the lucky man?" said a nearby female voice. The voice snapped Grace out of her daydream and she stood up straight. The woman who spoke was Geraldeen, one of the Baron and Baroness's twin daughters. She was twenty years old with mousy brown hair and brown eyes. She was short in stature as well as being well rounded. Other ladies called her fat but she was not, she was just well built. Ever since Grace and her parents had moved in Geraldeen and Esmeralda had considered and treated Grace as their sister. Grace blushed as she told Geraldeen what had happened earlier.

"His name is Richard and I met him today in town today" Grace said.

"Wow, he must be really special. What was he like?" Geraldeen asked.

"He was really sweet and he didn't laugh at me when I was talking to the animals. And, Ahhh, he was really romantic" grace said.

"It sounds like you're smitten with him" Geraldeen said.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous" Grace said as she came to her senses.

"We'll see" Geraldeen said.

"If you'll excuse me my lady, I have chores to be getting on with" Grace said. She then took her basket and left to put the contents in the kitchen. After this she took her cleaning things and went to the ballroom to scrub the floor. The ballroom was a circular room with a beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the centre. The floor was polished marble. There was a second set of doors that led to the gardens and to the left of these there was a piano that was covered with a large piece of material to keep the dust off it. The soap she used had a scent of lavenders and she hummed to herself as she washed the floor. Just after she finished the main doors into the ballroom opened and in walked Geraldeen followed by Esmeralda and then the ladies dance teacher. Esmeralda was the opposite of Geraldeen in stature. Where Geraldeen was short, Esmeralda was tall and slightly less robust than her sister. Her hair was dark brown and her eyes were also brown. In Grace's eyes both the sisters were beautiful in their own way. Grace picked up her bucket after putting the rag in it and left to empty the bucket. Esmeralda pulled the material off the piano and sat down to play. She was a very talented pianist as she had been having lessons since she was quite young. When Grace returned Geraldeen and the tutor were dancing whilst Esmeralda was playing. At this time Grace did not have any chores to do. She sat down and watched. Then the dance finished and the tutor asked her dance. Grace accepted and they dance while Geraldeen watched. An hour passed by like this until Esmeralda and Geraldeen switched places. Another hour passed by and then Grace needed to return to her chores. Later that night Grace looked out of the window in her room at the mountain range and couldn't help thinking that her future lay beyond it on the other side.


	4. 1: Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

The next day Grace was scrubbing the floor in the entrance of the Fairfax's mansion. It had a high ceiling with a huge chandelier in the centre of it to light the room. At the moment it was not lit as it was the middle of the day with the sun high in the sky. The carpets were a deep dark blue and the walls were painted a light blue that matched. The ceiling was painted cream in swirling patterns. Throughout the room there were various portraits of the residents. There were portraits of the family together and portraits of the two daughters showing them growing up from children into young ladies. There were also various doors that led from the entrance to the other rooms of the house. All of these doors were made of oak but each had been carved in such a way that each door was different from the rest. There was a large staircase that led to the second floor where the bedrooms were. Grace was scrubbing by the main entrance to the mansion. The doors were huge oak doors with ornate handles. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Grace put the rag she was using in the bucket next to her. She then dried her hands on her already dirty apron and stood up. She opened the door to find a man stood there. He was wearing a very posh uniform and so assumed he worked in the royal palace. Slung over his shoulder was a large bag filled with letters. There was also a letter in his hand.

"A letter from his royal highness, the King" the messenger said whilst handing the letter to her.

"Thank you" said Grace after taking the letter. She closed the door and looked at the letter in her hand. It was addressed to the lord and lady of the house and there was a royal seal on the back. She walked to the second door on the left of the entrance hall from the front door and knocked on it. From inside a voice said "come in".

She opened the door and walked into the library before closing the door behind her. In the library there were bookcases the go from the floor to the ceiling. These were all around the room against the walls. In the middle of the room there was a large mahogany table with four people sat at it. The only man sat at the table was the master of the house, Baron Fairfax. He was a short, fat, balding man. His hair, the little that there was of it, was brown. Sat opposite him was his wife, Baroness Trudy Fairfax who was the exact opposite of her husband in body shape. She was tall and slim with brown hair and brown eyes. Sat at the opposite end of the table were Geraldeen and Esmerelda.

"Sorry for the interruptions sir" Grace said whilst she curtsied.

"It's alright Grace, we know you would only interrupt if it was important" the Baron said.

"A letter from the King has just been delivered" Grace replied. She handed him the letter.

"Thank you Grace" he said taking the letter.

He then broke the seal on the envelope and pulled the piece of paper out of it which he then read out loud.

"Dear sir and/ or Madame,

You and your family are invited to a series of balls to celebrate the Prince's eighteenth birthday as well as the 200th anniversary of the end of the war. The celebration will last a month with a ball every other night. There will be a total of fifteen balls. We hope to see you at the first ball in two days time. Please note the balls will be masquerade balls.

Yours sincerely

The King"

There was an awkward silence that was broken by the Baroness.

"Do you realise what this means dear?" the Baroness asked. Everyone looked at her with blank faces. The Baroness sighed.

"It means that now that the prince has reached marital age he will begin meeting all of the eligible ladies in the kingdom and from surrounding kingdoms. After all it is tradition for royalty to start looking for their potential spouse at this age. Imagine if he finds a bride during the celebrations and imagine if he chose one of our daughters" the Baroness exclaimed. Esmerelda and Geraldeen looked at their mother sceptically. Neither believed she was suitable for a prince's bride and wife. The Baroness saw this.

"Don't look at me like that, I know what you're thinking and you're both wrong. The two of you are refined and beautiful young ladies that are worthy to be the prince's bride" explained the Baroness.

"But you're our mother and so your opinion is biased and therefore unreliable" Esemerelda objected.

"The Baroness is right. Having grown up with both of you I know that each of you possess qualities that would be required in a princess. You are both kind, caring and understanding as well as respectful to everyone you meet" Grace added.

"Also you should think of this as an opportunity to meet new people, particularly those from other kingdoms" the Baron added.

"What do you mean father?" Geraldeen asked.

"This is the biggest celebration the kingdom has thrown in years and I'm fairly certain the nobility of neighbouring kingdoms will have been invited" the Baron explained.

"Including Elisedd?" inquired the Baroness.

"Yes I believe the nobility of the northern kingdom will be there but not the royal family. Unfortunately no one has seen them in seventeen years and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.

Just then the clock started chiming telling all that it was lunchtime.

"Excuse me but I believe it's time to go and fetch your lunches" Grace said. She then curtsied and left the room. A moment later Esemerelda and Geraldeen also left to go wash up for lunch.

"So" the Baron said, "why the interest in Elisedd?".

The Baroness just looked at him.

"Oh" he said after a few moments, "right".

"You know we're going to have to tell her soon" the Baroness said.

"I know but" the Baron started.

"You know that as soon as you tell her she's going to go running off to liberate Elisedd of the dark wizard. Unfortunately we also made a promise to tell her when she's ready" the Baroness finished.

"Yes but I also promised to keep her safe" the Baron continued.

"But keeping her safe doesn't mean keeping an important thing like that from her and I think she would rather hear it from someone she knows than a stranger. You, me and our daughters are the closest thing she's got to family now, it would be better if we tell he and we need to tell her soon" the Baroness told the Baron. The Baron sighed.

"You're right, we'll tell her after the festivities" he said. Just then Esmerelda and Geraldeen came back in.

"Mother, I've been thinking, the Prince's name is Richard, right?" Geraldeen asked.

"Well" Geraldeen said as she told them what Grace had told her the day before.

"So you think that this Richard and the Prince are the same person" the Baroness said once Geraldeen had finished. Geraldeen nodded.

"It does make sense and there are the rumours that the Prince has been visiting various places in the kingdom in order to get to know his subjects better. The king approves as he says it's important for a monarch to understand his people but the Queen gets a bit frustrated with him at times" Geraldeen explained. A few minutes of silence followed.

"Mother I was wondering if Grace could come with us to the balls. After all she is like a sister to both of us" Esmerelda asked.

"I think it's a good idea but I don't think Grace will agree to it. After all she thinks that peasants like her shouldn't go to posh events like balls" the Baroness said.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Geraldeen opened the door and in walked Grace, holding a tray of food and drink which she put on the table.

"Sir, I've been thinking about these balls and I realised that neither Geraldeen nor Esmeralda have had a new gown in some time. Would you like me to make them a dress each for the last ball?" Grace inquired.

"That sounds like a splendid idea. Speaking of the balls, we were wondering if you would like to come with us" suggested the Baron. Grace was a bit surprised by this offer and for a few moments did not know what to say.

"I appreciate the offer but unfortunately I cannot accept it. I don't want to embarrass you with my tattered clothes. If you will excuse me I will be back after lunch to take the ladies measurements" Grace replied and then she left.

"I told you she wouldn't accept, but there may be a way to get her to go" the Baroness said.

The four of them sat down and ate lunch. Meanwhile Grace was searching her room for a book that contained dress designs. Grace's room was above the kitchen and although it was small, Grace liked it, she thought it was cosy with a bed with a bookcase crammed full of books. On the bed there was a handmade blanket that she had knitted herself. There was also a small bedside table that had a single draw with a space underneath it. In this space sat a small wooden box which was Grace's most prized possession. The top of the lid was painted with a single red rose and there were roses carved into the sides of the box. This was the last gift her parents had given her before they had died. The inside of the box was lined with turquoise silk. The box contained a small leather bound book which contained pictures of her and her parents. Also it was where Grace kept her necklace at night. After finding the book, Grace also gathered up her measuring tape and some writing equipment. She put these in a pile on top of the book and went back to the library. She took the lunch tray back to the kitchen while Esmerelda and Geraldeen looked through the dress book. When Grace returned she took Esmerelda's measurements while Geraldeen continued looking and chose a dress. The girls then switched places and an hour went by during which they discussed the dresses they would like made for them. Later that night, Grace lay in bed contemplating being invited to the balls by the Baron. Part of her thought it was a bad idea but part of her wanted to go, even if it was just for one ball to feel the atmosphere and dance the night away with a man. But then she pushed these feelings away, telling herself that royal balls were for nobility not servant girls.


	5. 1: Chapter Three

**A.N: **Another chapter is here and the next chapter should be up tomorrow, I have nearly finished wiritng it. Also I have decided that the lenght of this chapter is going to be the average length from now on.

**Chapter Three**

The next day Grace went to the market place again. The first place she went to when she got there was the bread stall. When she got there she found the owner stood by it and so she walked up to him.

"It's lovely to see you again" she said to him.

"Oh, Grace, I'm so glad you're safe. I tried to stop the guards from chasing you when they lost sight of the thief but they didn't listen" he said to her.

"It's alright, I had some help from a new friend" she said.

"Oh, tell me all about it" he asked her. So Grace told him everything that had happened that day after the guards had started chasing her. When she finished the stall owner was shocked in silence.

"Wow, a lot happened to you, didn't it?" he asked.

"I know" she replied.

"Do you think you'll ever meet this man again?" Graham asked.

"I don't know the future is after all, unpredictable" Grace answered.

"True" Graham said after thinking for a few moments.

"Well, I'd better get going, I still have fabrics that I need to buy before going back" Grace explained.

"Are you making new gowns for Lady Geraldeen and Esmerelda?" Graham asked her. Grace nodded.

"You should go the balls, you might meet someone special there" he suggested.

"No, I can't go; there will be chores to do. Besides I'm a peasant which means I'm not going to be invited" she said whilst shaking her head.

"I think you'll find you're mistaken" he said, holding out the invitation for her to see.

"Wow, you've been invited, that's great" Grace exclaimed in delight.

"I know, my wife couldn't believe it when the man knocked on the door and handed her the invite" he told her.

Meanwhile at the palace prince Richard was walking through the garden, getting more and more fed up of being confined to the palace grounds. For some reason he was thinking less and less about the coming celebrations and more about Grace. He couldn't get her out of his mind; her eyes, her voice, her personality. There was something special about her that made him feel the way he did. He sat down for a minute to think and came up with an idea and a way to execute it. He went to his room and changed into something simpler. He then grabbed his cloak and made his to the servant's entrance. He snuck his way there so that no one would notice he was gone. When outside he went to the stables, took a grey haired horse and walked it out of the palace gates. As soon as he was out of eyesight of the palace gates he climbed on the horse and rode away to the village where he met Grace two days previously. As he rode he contemplated the upcoming balls. He knew there would be many ladies there wanting to meet him, simply because he was the prince. This was something he was not looking forward to. He was glad however that he had managed to persuade his parents to invite many of the commoners of the kingdom. It would give him the chance to show how much their hard work was appreciated even if not all the nobility understood this.

A short while later he arrived at the village and slowed down. He then got off the horse and found someone to look after it. He wandered around the village looking for Grace. It was not hard to find her, not many people wear a piece of fabric covering their hair. She was heading towards a shop called Abigail's Gowns: Dresses and fabrics for every occasion. He ran after her and eventually caught up. When he got to her he tapped on her shoulder. This made her jump and she dropped her basket on the ground. She then turned around, intending to scold the person behind her but changed her mind when she recognised who it was. She then picked up her basket, thank full that it was empty at this moment in time.

"Richard, you gave me such a fright. Please don't do that again" Grace said.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you. I was just trying to catch up with you; I have to ask you something" Richard said to her.

"What is it?" she asked, her curiosity burning.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me to the celebrations that start tomorrow" he asked her. Grace was taken aback by the question.

"You're asking me to the balls, a commoner! I haven't had an invite so I can't go" Grace replied.

"Oh, you mean this" he said, as he pulled an envelope out of his pocket. He handed it to her. She looked at it in her hands for a moment.

"This is strange; this is the second time someone has invited me to go to the celebrations. Yesterday Baron Fairfax asked me to go with his family. I don't know what to say" she said.

"Say you'll be there, please" he asked her.

"I can't promise anything but I'll try my best to get there" she replied, knowing that she did not have a dress that she would consider suitable for a royal ball.

"Thank you" he said.

"The balls require attendees to wear masks, so how will I recognise you if I do manage to get there?" she asked him.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find each other" he said.

"So where are you going on this fine day?" he asked her.

"The fabric shop, there are things I need to make the young mistress's dresses for the final ball" she replied. Richard looked at her for a minute and realised that Grace must be the servant who makes Esmerelda and Geraldeen Fairfax's gowns. Their dresses were always simple and yet beautiful.

"May I accompany you?" he asked her.

"Of course, if that's what you want to do. Just don't blame me if you grow bored" Grace answered. The two of them walked to the dress shop and entered.

"Abigail" Grace called out as she entered the shop.

"Be there in a minute dear" a voice called out from one of the fitting rooms. A moment later a woman emerged and then approached the girl who was sat behind the desk.

"Mary, could you finish up with the lady in fitting room two please" Abigail asked.

"Of course Abigail" the girl called Mary replied. She then went to the fitting room.

"Grace, so lovely to see you again" Abigail said, pulling Grace into a hug.

"It's good to see you too" Grace said. Richard simply watched and realised that the tow of them must be old friends. Richard looked at Abigail. Her skin was dark brown and her hair even darker than that. She was not fat nor was she skinny like many of the ladies he knew from the royal court who tried to make themselves as thin as possible thinking it made them beautiful. He personally thought it made them look unhealthy. She was neither short nor tall but was average height. The two women stopped hugging and that was when Abigail noticed that Grace was not alone.

"Tell me who your charming companion is" she asked Grace.

"Abigail, this is Richard. Richard this is Abigail, we've known each other for more than ten years" Grace said.

"That is an understament, I have known Grace since she was a year old" Abigail added.

"So what can I do for you my dear?" Abigail asked.

"Well I need these" Grace replied producing a list from her basket which she then handed to Abigail. Abigail studied the list for a few moments before saying anything.

"Making more dresses I see. The job offer is still there if you want it. It could even be part time you wanted" Abigail said to her.

"Thanks for the offer but I must decline" Grace said.

"Job offer?" Richard asked curiously.

"When Grace started making dresses a few years ago I offered her a job as a dress maker ion my shop but she turned it down" Abigail explained. Just then Mary retuned from the fitting room. Mary was a petite girl of fourteen years who worked in the shop.

"Mary, would you help Grace with her list of things?" Abigail asked.

"Of course, please follow me Grace" Mary replied. Grace followed Mary to another room. Richard took a moment to observe the shop. There were several doors leading off from the main room. One was labelled fitting rooms and another was labelled dress making materials which was where Grace and Mary had gone a few moments ago. There was a final door labelled Abigail's office. There were several mannequins with fancy dresses on them in various different styles and colours. Some had labels on them with the word sold written on it indicating that these dresses had already been purchased but not yet collected.

"Richard, please come to my office, there is something we need to discuss" Abigail said to him. Richard simply nodded and followed her, feeling like a child that was about to be punished for being naughty. When inside her office Abigail closed the door behind him.

"Your highness, for a moment I didn't recognise you" Abigail said to him. Richard looked at her in disbelief, wondering how she knew.

"Don't worry; no one can hear what we're saying. There's a magical enchantment on this room preventing anyone from listening in. That and the employees respect my privacy. What I want to know is what your intentions are when it comes to Grace" she asked him.

"Why do you ask?" Richard asked her in return.

"I don't want her to get hurt when you eventually choose to marry someone" Abigail explained. Richard looked at her with curious eyes.

"When Grace's parents died, many others died at the same time. Those of us that were left vowed to protect her from those with evil intentions" Abigail continued.

"What do mean by 'evil intentions'?" Richard asked.

"It is better that you don't know" she answered. Before Richard could question her further there was a knock on the door.

"I'll be out in a moment" she said.

"Promise me you won't hurt her" she continued. Richard nodded. Abigail then opened the door and the two of them left her office. Grace was at the desk loading bundles into her basket. She handed a small pouch to Mary who was stood behind the desk.

"Keep the change" Grace said. She then left the shop and decided that it was time to head back to the mansion. Just as she was leaving she said "farewell Richard, until we meet again". A few moments later Richard also left and went to find his horse so he could go back to the palace. Later that night Grace was sat in her room when she looked at the invite she had been given. She was still unsure as to whether she should go or not.


	6. 1: Chapter Four

**A.N: **I knwo it's a day later than I wanted but here it is, chapter four. The next chapter is the first ball and it should be up next saturday. Enjoy.

**Chapter Four**

The next night was the night of the first ball. Grace had been asked to help Esmerelda and Geraldeen get ready. This was a task that she had decided required her full attention and so she had done it. As she styled the girls hair, they had talked about who they thought would be there, what people would be there and how much they were looking forward to meeting new people as well as dancing. She had then put small amounts of makeup on each of them after which she had helped them into their dresses. When finished she stood back and looked at them. The two of them were wearing matching dresses but in different colours. The dress had a square neckline with short puffy sleeves and a conical skirt. Geraldeen's dress was turquoise whilst Esmerelda's was a reddish brown. Geraldeen's hair was not tied up and had been gently curled. Esmerelda's hair was piled on top of her head and was tied with a ribbon that matched her dress in colour. She handed each of them their masks for the night.

"You both look beautiful, I have a feeling that as least one of you will be engaged by the end of the celebrations" Grace told them. Geraldeen's face lit up in delight whilst Esmerelda looked sad.

"I know, you're still hoping to see him again. Maybe he'll be there tonight" Grace said. Esmerelda smiled.

"That's better, now, I believe your parents are waiting for you downstairs" Grace said smiling at them. She then moved to let them past. After they had left the room, Grace thought back to the holiday in Scarborough where Esmerelda had met a young man whom she had become enamoured with. His name had been John if she remembered correctly and since then Esmerelda had refused to be courted by other men. Little did Esmerelda know that John was hoping she would be there because he still cared about her.

Geraldeen and Esmerelda reached the bottom of the stairs where the baron and Baroness were waiting. The Baron was wearing a simple black suit with a white shirt and black bow tie. The baroness was wearing a simple lilac gown with a few layers of petticoats, a square neckline and short sleeves. Just then Daniel, another member of staff at the mansion and one of the couple who had moved into Grace's old home, came in through the main entrance. His wife Melissa was the cook and the two of them were the parents of Mary, the girl who worked in Abigail's shop. Daniel was tall and muscular while Melissa was petite like Mary. Daniel had very dark skin and Melissa was light skinned. Mary was a combination of her parents with skin that was neither dark nor light.

"The carriage is ready, sir" Daniel said. He was dressed in the colours of the Fairfax family as he was driving the carriage to the ball.

"Thank you Daniel" the Baron said. Daniel opened the door the Baron and his family and then followed them outside. Outside there was the family carriage with the family crest painted on both side of it. It was pulled by four majestic horses. Daniel helped the ladies into the carriage and then closed the door afterwards. He then climbed onto the driver's seat and gently flicked the reins so that the horses then started walking, pulling the carriage out of the driveway and to its final destination at the royal palace. Grace watched them leave and then returned to her room.

She got to her room and decided to look at her locket before going to sleep. She got her locket out of her box and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Go to the ball, me?" she said. Suddenly she was no longer sitting on her bed but on a chair at the royal ball. She was no longer wearing her work clothes but a beautiful deep, dark red gown with off the shoulder straps. Around her neck was her locket and on her feet there was a pair of silver shoes. A young man in a fancy suit came up to her and asked her to dance. She accepted and they danced. After a few minutes the man leant in to kiss her but as quickly as the image started it faded away. She found that she was no longer sat down but stood up instead.

"That'll never happen" she said as she sat back down on her bed.

"Even if I did want to go, I have no way to get there and nothing to wear, but I did say I would try and get there" Grace said to herself. She thought for a moment with one hand resting on her knee and the other with her head resting on it. She tapped her knee and then sat up straight.

"I could take one of the master's horses and ride there but then I'd look like a complete fool dressed like this. I could take my apron off but that wouldn't improve things much, my dress is filthy. Oh it's hopeless" she said to herself, putting both hands on her knees. She sat there for a few moments in silence until she decided she needed to occupy herself in order to stop herself from thinking about the ball. She decided to head to the stables and keep midnight, the horse she had been asked to look after by the baron two years ago. The horse had been found by Daniel, wandering a nearby field and he had brought it to the mansion. The baron had taken on look at the horse and decided that she would remain in the mansion and be looked after by Grace. The horse bad been named Midnight because of her black coat. When Grace arrived at the stables she found Midnight alone, as she expected. She wandered up to her and started stroking her. Unfortunately she found that the ball was still on her mind. Midnight nudged her other hand and Grace then opened her hand up and realised that she was still holding her locket.

She opened it and suddenly there it started shining. The light go brighter and brighter until both midnight and Grace were forced to close their eyes. The light eventually faded to reveal a beautiful woman stood before them. Grace gasped in surprise. She was wearing a pale blue fairy dress with short puffy sleeves. The skirt was full length. In her hands she held a wand. She had long, golden blonde hair and blue eyes that sparked like sapphires. On her back there was large pair of purple butterfly wings.

"Who, who are you?" Grace stammered.

"My name is Christabelle and I am a fairy" the woman said.

"Why are you here?" Grace asked, confused.

"I am here because there is somewhere you need to be, which is where you want to be but cannot get to, Grace" Christabelle replied.

"How do you know my name?" Grace asked.

"That does not matter. What matters is that I am here to grant you your heart's desire. From what I understand that is to attend the celebration balls that are taking place over the next month" Christabelle answered. Grace rubbed the back of her neck for a few minutes as she thought to herself whether or not she wanted to go. She then realised that she did want to go, to meet people and dance with a stranger.

"That would be lovely, but" Grace started.

"You have no way to get there, don't worry. This fairy is going to get you to the ball" Christabelle finished.

"But how!" Grace exclaimed.

"Relax Grace and leave everything up to me" Christabelle explained reassuringly.

Christabelle motioned for Grace to follow her and she did. Christabelle led her to the garden and it seemed to Grace as if she was looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" Grace asked her.

"A pumpkin, but I don't think there's one here" Christabelle answered.

"Is is traditional to use a pumpkin?" Grace enquired.

"Yes, but we'll just have to improvise" Christabelle told her as she looked around for another equally large vegetable.

"Ah-ha that will do nicely" she continued, pointing to a giant turnip in the vegetable garden. Grace went and collected the turnip at which point Christabelle waved her wand and pointed it at the turnip. Suddenly the turnip started to grow and grow. The vines that had grown out of it started to extend and twist into circles, forming the four wheels of the carriage. While this had been happening the turnip had grown large enough for a person to fit inside. A door had also formed on one side and the door had a circular window. The carriage was now spherical and golden in colour. There was a seat on the front of the carriage. The seats inside were silver. In front of the carriage there were harnesses for the horses to slip into and pull the carriage.

"So we have a carriage, there is a horse in the stable so we need one horse, a footmen and a driver" she said. Grace returned to the stables and put Midnight into one of the harnesses.

While this had been happening Felicia had walked out of the mansion and a fox had run up from the forest nearby with a squirrel on its back.

"Are you all friends of Grace?" Christabelle asked them. The animals nodded and Christabelle waved her wand at all three them, turning the squirrel into a red haired horse, the fox into a driver and Felicia into a coachwoman. When Grace was finished with Midnight she noticed what Christabelle had done. Stood by Christabelle were a red haired horse and a finely dressed man and woman.

"Felicia?" Grace asked. The woman nodded. Felicia then harnessed the second horse to the carriage while the driver sat on the driver's seat. Felicia and the driver were wearing the same outfit, silver trousers, a white shirt and a golden jacket.

"Just one thing left" Christabelle asked her.

"Me?" Grace asked surprised.

"Do you really want to go in that?" Christabelle asked her.

"Oh, yeah" Grace said, blushing slightly at the embarrassment of having forgotten how dirty her dress was. Christabelle continued looking at Grace and thinking.

"I've got the perfect dress for you" she said after a few minutes.

Christabelle waved her wand and pointed it at Grace. Grace was surrounded by light for a few seconds. Te light faded to reveal Grace in a dark red ball gown. The dress had long sleeves with a triangle of fabric covering her hands. The neckline was from one shoulder to the other and the skirt was conical in shape. Her auburn hair was loose and curly and her locket was around her neck. On her head was a silver tiara. On her face was a matching mask covering the top of her forehead to the bottom of her nose. Christabelle then produced a box and handed it to the Grace who opened it up to reveal a pair of silver shoes inside. The shoes had chunky heels that were two inches in size. Grace then put them on the ground and slipped her feet into them. Just as Grace was about to get into the carriage, Christabelle stopped her.

"One final warning before you go, the magic runs out after quarter past twelve so you must leave before then" she said.

"Quarter past twelve?" Grace asked curiously.

"I don't know why, that's just the way it is" Christabelle replied.

"Thank you for everything" Grace said. She then climbed into the carriage, the driver snapped the reins and the carriage set off on its journey.


	7. 1: Chapter Five

**A.N:** Apologies for the delay but it's not as long as between the prologue and chapter one. I will try and get the next chapter written and typed so that it can be posted on saturday. I am hoping to post a chapter a week from now on.

**Chapter Five**

The ball had started at eight pm. Ladies wearing fancy ball gowns and finely dressed gentlemen were entering the palace and walking to the huge ballroom. Everyone there was wearing a mask but some were wearing crowns indicating that they were royalty. Prince Richard had refused to wear one; he didn't want to be recognised by large groups women that were trying to find him. After dodging another group of women he decided it was time for a breath of fresh air so he dashed out of his hiding spot, up the stairs and out of the ballroom. He dashed past John and ran to the entrance steps where he sat down. He sat there for a couple of minutes breathing in the fresh air. Then John came and sat down next to him.

"What was that about?" John asked.

"I just needed some fresh air" Richard replied.

"Yeah, whatever. You're scared" John said.

"I am not" Richard denied.

"You are, come on, admit" John said, trying to coax him. Richard sighed.

"Alright yes I am" Richard admitted.

"Richard, they're just girls" John said.

"I know that but they're all hoping for the same thing. To fall in love with a prince and be a princess" Richard explained.

"Not all of them do, some of them are already princesses" John said. John looked at Richard.

"Come on Richard, you must know the royal traditions of reaching eighteen. All princes and princesses must start looking for a partner at their celebration ball" John said.

"I know that and so do the ladies in the ballroom or their parents know and told them" Richard said. There were a few moments of silence.

"I don't know what to do" Richard said exasperated.

"Relax man, if you're that worried about them trying, just ask someone to dance" John suggested. Richard nodded to his friend in agreement.

John stood up and turned to walk in but Richard remained seated.

"Are you coming?" he asked. No reply. John walked up to Richard and waved his hand in front of Richard's face. He then looked in the same direction as his friends and realised that he was staring at the palace entrance.

"Richard, are you waiting for someone?" John asked.

"Sort of" Richard replied.

"What do you mean by 'sort of'?" John asked.

"Well, she said she'd try and get here" Richard explained. John thought for a minute and then realised what Richard had done.

"Richard, tell me you didn't. You did, didn't you, you went into town again. Let me guess, you bumped into that girl again and invited her to the celebration. You know your mother's going to be really annoyed with you if she finds out" John said. Richard folded his arms in his knees.

"I know, but she'll understand" he said.

"Come on, let's go before they think something's wrong and your mother sends out a search party for you" John said. Richard nodded and stood up. He took one last look at the palace entrance.

"Richard if she was going to get here she would be here by now" John said. Richard sighed and walked inside with his friend.

What Richard didn't realise was that Grace was only a few minutes away from the palace. She was sat in the carriage, feeling very nervous. She didn't know if she would be able to find Richard because everyone would be wearing masks. She was also excited at the prospect of dancing at the palace. Eventually the carriage arrived at the palace. The carriage had stopped outside the main entrance to the palace. The footmen jumped from the back of the carriage, opened the door and helped Grace out. She stepped down from the carriage from the carriage and looked at the stairs for a moment. They are wider at the bottom than at the top. There was a red carpet going all the way down. The carriage left and Grace decided to go in. She picked up her dress and, walked up the stairs and through the large open doors at the top. When through the doors she found herself in a long corridor. The red carpet continued into the corridor and there were red walls and purple curtains. She walked down the corridor to where there was an open set of double doors.

She stood behind the door on her right and peaked inside. She saw the people dancing around in the centre of the room. The King and Queen were sat on the left side watching the dancing. She could see Geraldeen talking to a finely dressed young man and she was quite giggly. She could also see Esmerelda twirling around in the arms of a young man but she did not look happy. Grace had no doubt that the Baroness pushed her into it. The man she was dancing with said something to her, which made her smile.

"They look so pretty" she thought. She stood there for a few minutes, looking.

"I wonder if it would be possible for me to walk in and not make a scene" she said to herself.

"Definitely not" a voice said behind her. She jumped and turned around to see who had spoken. Stood behind her was a man with blonde hair and sea blue eyes.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because of what you're wearing. Most of the other ladies are wearing light colours like blue, pink and purple. You're the only one wearing red, dark red for that matter" he explained. "But" he said, continuing, "the colour of your dress matches the colour of your hair and complements your eye colour". Grace looked at him for a minute.

"On another note, are you going in or are you just going to watch the ball from out here?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure" Grace replied.

"Well you wouldn't have dressed up like that if you were going to just stand here and watch" he said. Grace thought for a moment. Meanwhile the dance had just finished, Esmerelda curtsied to Richard and then left the dance floor. Back in the corridor Grace was still thinking. She decided that she was going in because if she didn't go in now she never would. She stood up straight and took a deep breath.

"Alright, I'm going in" she said. She walked out from behind the door and into the ballroom.

**A.N:** Cliff hanger, what's going to happen when she walks into the ballroom. You won't have to wait long.


	8. 1: Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

The ballroom was rectangle in shape and beautifully decorated with flowers all over the place. In the middle of the room there was the dance floor. On the right side of the room there were tables and chairs where people were sat, then an area of chairs where an orchestra were sat playing music and further along there were doors that led to the garden. At the opposite end of the room there were curtains which led to the balcony. She was stood at the top of a staircase that was the same as the one outside the palace. Suddenly everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Grace. Richard saw everyone stop and heard the sudden silence. He wanted what was happening. He looked up at the entrance to the ballroom and that was when he saw her.

The first thing that he noticed was her hair because it was an uncommon colour, it was auburn as well as curly and something told him this was natural. He knew if several ladies who slept with curlers in their hair to change their hair but he knew with this woman it was not the case. Her dress was dark red and complimented the colour of her hair. He thought he saw something shiny at the bottom of her dress and wondered if her shoes were silver. Her skin was different from many of the light skinned women at the ball, it was golden in colour, whilst other ladies were pale and some avoided exposure to the sun in order to preserve this. This was something Richard had never understood, he always thought that having very pale skin meant that the person was ill. He could see that she was nervous; it was making her blush as her cheeks became darker and darker.

As she began descending the stairs he found himself inexplicably walking towards the bottom of the stairs. The room was so quiet a pin could be heard dropping.

"Wow, she's beautiful, she must be a princess" he thought. As he walks closer he notices the silver tiara in her hair and the shine of silver at the bottom of her dress confirming his earlier suspicions about her shoes. Eventually the two of them met at the bottom of the stairs. Richard bowed to her whilst saying "My lady". Grace simply curtsied, uncertain of what to say and still very nervous.

"Would you honour me with a dance?" he asked her. Grace looked around, suddenly aware of everyone's eyes on the two of them.

"Of course" she stammered after a few moments. He offered her his arm which she took and he led her to the dance floor. When they reached the centre of the dance floor the orchestra started playing again and the started dancing. It was a simple waltz but the two of them didn't care, what mattered was that they were dancing. As time by more and more couples joined and soon the dance floor was filled with couples dancing, just as it was before Grace arrived. One of the couples that had joined in was Geraldeen and the young man that she had been talking to. The young man was the son of a Duke and Duchess who lived in the south eastern area of the kingdom and were charged with ensuring laws were upheld along there with other duties. The young man's name was Peter and he had heard many things about Geraldeen Fairfax, some of them nice, some of them not. He had decided to meet her and find out which were true and which were false. After meeting her he decided that all the nasty rumours about her were just to make her seem awful but there was no truth in them at all. This had made her seem even more wonderful to him.

Meanwhile the Baron and Baroness were stood to one side of the dance floor, watching the dancing. The Baroness had recognised Grace as soon as she had entered the ballroom and had smiled to herself, knowing that all was going as planned. The Baron had then leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

"I do believe you are right" she said back to him.

"But how did you know it would work?" he asked her.

"Because deep down I knew that she wanted to go, she just did not believe that she deserved to go. I will thank Christabelle the next time I see her, she has done a wonderful job" the Baroness replied. The two of them continued watching the dancing. They could see Geraldeen happily dancing, glad that at least one of their daughters was enjoying themselves. They could see Esmerelda sat a short distance away, probably thinking of the man she met while they were on holiday in Scarborough. They hope the man was at the ball but could not be certain about it.

Back on the dance floor Grace and Richard were still twirling around though neither knew who the other was. Richard was determined to change that.

"Would you tell me your name princess?" Richard asked her.

"Firstly, I'm not a princess and secondly, I thought the idea was to not know who anyone is, that's why we're wearing masks" Grace explained.

"Unfortunately you are right however be warned my lady, I will make it my mission to discover your identity. Until then what can I call you to stop me from making one up?" He asked.

"You may call me Kay as in the letter, and you?" she asked.

"You can call me Rick" Richard replied.

"Well then it is a pleasure to meet you Rick" Grace said.

"Likewise Kay" Richard said. The dance ended and another one started. Rick and Kay decided to keep dancing.

"So Kay, where are you from?" Rick asked her.

"That would be telling wouldn't it?" Kay said.

"You have no intention of telling me anything about yourself" Rick said to her, wondering if he would ever know her.

"Of course, where would the fun be if I told you everything after just meeting you? Besides I may choose to tell you more as time goes on" Kay told him.

"Are you going to attend the rest of the celebrations?" he asked.

"I might do but it depends" she answered.

"On what?" he asked.

"On whether I enjoy myself tonight or not" Kay replied.

"And are you enjoying yourself?" he asked, curious.

"Yes, I do believe I am. So far I have met a charming young man, who is determined to know me better and I am currently twirling around in his arms" Kay replied.

"You think I'm charming?" he asked, a bit surprised at her comment.

"At this moment in time, yes but that could change. I must admit I would be disappointed if it did change" she told him.

"Well then I shall try my best to not disappoint you" he said. She smiled at him and he felt his heart beat quicken.

"Wow, she is so different from other women I've met. She wants to know me for me rather as the prince. But then she doesn't know I'm the prince" he thought to himself. The two of them continued dancing for some time. Although there were snippets of conversation both of them had decided that silence was better so that the music could be enjoyed. Occasionally one of them smiled or giggled at what the other had said.

The Queen was sat on her throne, watching the couple with deep interest. Her husband the King was next to her.

"Don't look now but I do believe our son has found a young woman that he likes" she said, pointing to the couple.

"I do believe you are right, she certainly is beautiful isn't she?" he said.

"Yes but there is something familiar about her" the Queen said.

"What is it?" the King asked.

"I'm not sure but she definitely reminds me of someone I used to know" The Queen said.

"Who?" the King asked.

"That's the thing, I don't know who but I'm certain she reminds me of someone" she said. The King contemplated for a minute.

"I guess we'll figure it out as the celebration goes on" he said. The Queen nodded to him, agreeing with him.

Rick and Kay continued dancing until the clock read half nine. Kay had arrived at half eight and the two of them had been dancing for nearly an hour. At this point Kay knew she needed a break so that she could get off her aching feet. Once the dance finished Kay stopped.

"Could we stop for a few minutes, my feet are starting to ache?" Kay asked Rick.

"Of course and I think my feet feel the same as yours do" he said to her. He then led her off the dance floor. As he led her Kay noticed Esmerelda sat to the side looking lonely. She stopped. Rick noticed this and stopped as well.

"Kay, what is it?" he asked her. No answer. He then noticed who she was looking at, Lady Esmerelda Fairfax.

"She looks rather lonely, doesn't she?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No not lonely, lovesick. A couple of years ago she met a young man called John, who captured her heart and she has been missing him ever since" Kay explained.

"Are you a friend of hers?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Hold on, did you say John?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" she asked in return.

"Because I think I know him. Actually I'm certain of it. Two years ago John came back from a trip to Scarborough rather sullen and then told me that he had fallen head over heels in love with a young woman he had met there. I now believe that Esmerelda is that woman. I think we need to reunite them somehow, but how?" he asked her. The two of them thought for a few minutes.

"I think I've got it, I know what needs to be done but I need to speak to a couple of people first" Kay said. She then walked over to the orchestra and spoke to the man on the piano. After a short conversation she then went over to Geraldeen who was still twirling on the dance floor. After a couple of minutes the two of them then went over to Esmerelda. After a couple minutes Esemerelda reluctantly followed them to the piano where Geraldeen sat down and started playing. The rest of the orchestra stopped playing so that the piano could be heard. Kay stood by trying to encourage Esmerelda. After a few moments of just piano, Esmerelda took a deep breath and started singing.

"Are you going to Scarborough fair?

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Remember me to one who lives there

He once was a true love of mine

Tell him to make me a cambric shirt

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Without no seam nor needlework

Then he'll be a true love of mine

Tell him to find me an acre of land

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Between the salt water and the sea strand

Then he'll be a true love of mine

Are you going to Scarborough fair?

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Remember me to one who lives there

He once was a true love of mine"

She finished singing and there was a huge round of applause. John had been sat down but had then stood up and walked closer when she had started singing. He then realised what she was singing, his beloved Esmerelda was here and missed him as much as he missed her. When she was finished he walked over to her.

"Esmé is that really you?" he asked her, using his nickname for her.

"Esmerelda recognised the voice and her heart leapt to her throat. She lifted her mask off and saw her do the same. Then she knew that her true love had found her again, like he had promised he would. The two of them walked closer to each other and embraced and then John did what he had wanted to do for two years, since they had parted. He kissed her and she kissed him back. There was a round of applause and Geraldeen gave Kay a high five for the success of her plan. John then led Esmerelda to the dance floor as the orchestra began playing again.

At ten o'clock Kay and Rick decided to join the dancing again. Time flew by and eventually the clock showed quarter past eleven and when Kay saw this she decided it was time to leave. As the dance had just ended she curtsied.

"I apologise Rick but I do believe it is time for me to leave" she said to him. He bowed to her.

"Well then until next time Kay" he said to her.

"Farewell Rick" she said. With that she headed up the stairs and left the ballroom. She continued until got outside and then climbed into her carriage, which then took her home. Just as she returned the spell ended and everything was changed back to its original form. When she got back to her room Grace found Christabelle sat on her bed. Grace was a little bit surprised at this. She sat down, took off her shoes and put them back in their box.

"So did you have fun?" Christabelle asked her. Grace nodded.

"Well than I will see you in two days time to get your ready for the next ball" Christabelle said and then she disappeared. As she climbed into bed she wondered if she was doing the right thing.


	9. 1: Chapter Seven

**A.N: **The song in the last chapter was Celtic Woman's Scarborough fair if you want to hear what it sounds like. The next chapter is the second ball and the balls will be every other chapter becuase what happens in between the balls is just as important as what happens at the balls. Thank you to the guest who reviewed the last chapter, I always like to hear your opinion. I will get the next chapter written as fast as I can. I have made a couple of changes based on a suggestion from Caroline Lily-ann Youla. Thank you for making the suggestion.

**Chapter Seven**

The next day the Baroness, Esemerelda and Geraldeen went out shopping and so the Baron decided it was the perfect time for Grace's next sword fighting lesson. After the three of them had left the Baron and Grace left the mansion and went to the field behind the house to continue Grace's training. The Baron was wearing plain, simple clothes and Grace was wearing a plain shirt with her corset on top and trousers. This was what she usually wore when training with the baron. Her hair was once again covered with fabric and she had washed her face that morning. The two of them stood on the field opposite each other and began fighting. The two of them trained for two hours during which the Baron could be heard saying phrases like "good" and "Keep it up". There were times when the Baron could see Grace's thoughts drifting for a moment and then she snapped out of these unfocused moments. He could tell that there was something on her mind but he had a feeling this was something she did not want to discuss. After Grace had disarmed the Baron for a tenth time he decided it was time to stop. The two of them were exhausted and breathing heavily.

"Your skill is improving, however it is important to remember ignore distractions and stray thoughts. It will not be long before I can give you something" he said.

"Actually, I think you are ready for it now" he said after a few minutes of thinking.

"Follow me" he said to her then he led her to a wall on the outside of the mansion.

The Baron put his hand up motioning for her to stop. He then turned around to face the wall and put his hand on the wall. The wall opened up to reveal a secret passageway which he walked into and Grace followed. Grace was confused, she had worked and lived in the mansion for several years but she had never been here before. After a minute they arrived at a dead end. On the right there was a lamp on the wall which the baron pulled towards him, opening a door that swung inwards. This revealed a small room with a couple of boxes in it. The room was covered in dust and cobwebs, indicating that no one had been in it for years. The Baron lit a candle and then cleared the dust off one of the crates before opening it up. Grace had not known what to expect when he had opened the crate but she hadn't expected what she had seen. It was filled with a wealth and variety of things. On the top there was a good quality cloak and a sword in its scabbard. The Baron picked them up and handed them to Grace.

"What are they?" she asked.

"The cloak was your mother's and the sword your father's. It is a family heirloom that has been passed down from generation to generation and now, it's yours" he explained. Grace put the cloak down and examined the sword more closely.

The handle of the sword was silver with fancy patterns carved into it. She held the sword handle in her hand and then she felt the power that was within the sword and realised that this was no ordinary sword, it was filled with magical properties that were very powerful. The scabbard was made of red material that was very firm. There was gold lettering sewn into this which Grace read out loud.

"Ceartas" she said, her brow creased.

"It means justice; for that is what the sword has been used for ever since it was forged many generations ago" the Baron explained. Grace pulled the sword partially out of the scabbard to look at the blade. She saw that whoever had been the last owner had been, they had obviously taken good care of it, then she remembered that the last owner had been her father. This confused Grace, how could he have had an impressive sword like this when he was just a servant, it just didn't make sense. Grace had a feeling that there was something her parents had kept a secret and she was determined to find out what it was. She knew that the first place to look would be the hall of records in the town hall. From there she would figure out what to do next. Attached to the scabbard there was a belt that she used to put the sword on her hip, pulling it through the loops on the top of her trousers.

She then picked up the cloak and looked at it more closely. At first it looked like an ordinary black cloak and then out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw it change colour so she decided to test this. She held it and thought of a different colour other than black, making the cloak change to the colour she thought of. This shocked her and made her drop the cloak. The Baron noticed this and looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The cloak, it changed colour when I thought of a different colour" she answered.

"I guess I forgot to mention that the cloak responds to your thoughts and so if you need to hide you can use it to make yourself blend into the crowd" he told her.

This also gave her the feeling that there was something she wasn't being told and this only strengthened her determination to find out what it was. She picked up the cloak again and thought for a moment, wandering how to get out of the mansion so she could go to town.

"Are there any more chores I need to do?" she asked.

"No, why?" he asked.

"I think Midnight needs to go for a run and so I was going to take out, if that's okay" she answered.

"Of course" he replied.

"Thank you, I won't be gone long" she said. Then she left the secret room, putting on as she dashed towards the stable. Back in the room the Baron realised they would have to tell her soon before she finds out herself.

Back outside Grace had reached the stable and was grabbing Midnights stable. Midnight saw this and she whinnied in delight. Grace heard this.

"I know, you want to go out, I'm almost done" she said then she put the saddle on Midnight and grabbed the brush so she could brush Midnight's hair. This she did and then she put the brush back. She then opened the stall and walked her out of the stables before climbing on. Midnight then took a slow walk to town with Grace on her back. Eventually the duo reached their destination and when they did Grace dismounted Midnight and started walking her towards the town hall. As usual the town was full of people going about their business. Grace loved days like these; they helped her forget any uncertainties in her life, at least for a short while. Right now of course the uncertainties she was facing were about her origins and who she was. Just as she was walking down the main street she saw people turn around and gape in her direction, a look of shock on their face. At first she thought they were looking at her but then she turned around and saw what they were looking at. There was a large group of people on horseback charging towards them and they did not look friendly. Grace put her hand on the hilt of her sword and then changed her mind about using it when she realised there were too many for her to take on her own. She quickly decided that retreating was the best option and so she mounted Midnight and started towards the centre of town.

"Follow me" she shouted to the townspeople. They followed as she tried to lead them to another side of town but when they got there more people on horses were waiting for them and so they were forced to retreat. After running around for several minutes the towns people found themselves in the centre, surrounded by people on horses who were looking very dangerous. Grace saw that they were trapped and so got off Midnight and put her hands up in a gesture of surrender. The townspeople did the same. Some of the people that Grace now believed were bandits herded the trapped townsfolk to the town hall whilst others went searching the buildings. At first Grace thought they were robbing them then she saw that they were gathering any remaining people and putting them with her and the others in the town hall. As they walked Grace felt a tear come to her eye and she hated it. It was sign of being helpless and was something she detested, not being able to do anything.

Eventually all the townspeople were in the largest room of the town hall. Grace looked around to see if escaping was possible and then realised it was futile, there were vicious looking men who were armed with a variety of weaponry stationed all around the room. Also she knew she couldn't leave, abandoning them to the thugs who had them trapped in the town hall. She had wanted to come to the town hall just not like this. She took another look around the room. She could see mothers trying to comfort their frightened children and small groups of men obviously trying to find a way out. At least it seemed that way to Grace, she couldn't really tell for certain. One thing Grace knew was that she had to find out what was going on and what these people wanted with them. She went over to one of the guards stood around the room.

"Would you please tell me what it is that you want? If you haven't realised there are children here who are scared" Grace said to one of them.

"We are just waiting for our leader to get back and then he'll tell you what we're looking for. Oh look, here he is now" the man said just as a finely dressed man walked in the main door. The finely dressed man then stood in the middle of the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. I apologise for the inconvenience" the man started but was then cut off by Abigail who was also there.

"Inconvenience, inconvenience! You're men didn't give us a choice, they blocked off every exit and hauled all those that were inside at the time, here with no explanation or reason why!" she shouted at him. Grace felt sorry for the man, Abigail was the sort of person who did not get angry frequently and when she did the person who did it should beware. Abigail then glared at him.

"I am looking for a beautiful young woman" he said.

"Well there are plenty of beautiful women here but it sounds as if you're looking for someone in particular" Graham said.

"You are correct; the lady I am looking for has been described as strikingly beautiful. She has auburn hair and eyes that are both blue and green. I can't tell you how tall she is but from her parents heights she should be fairly tall and possible slim" the man said.

"Yes but who is it that you're looking for?" Abigail asked.

"Forgive me please; I am looking for a princess. The princess Katie of Elisedd, has anyone seen her?" the man asked.

"No, no one has seen or heard from her in seventeen years, the same for her parents and grandparents" Graham answered.

Meanwhile Grace was stood near the back of the room listening to what they were talking about. When she heard the name Katie she became confused, Katie was the name she had been called before her parents had died. The feeling that something was being kept from her was getting stronger and from the nervous looks on the townsfolk she could tell that they knew more about this princess Katie that they were letting on. There were a couple of questions going through her mind at this moment, who were the people and what did they want with Princess Katie. Unfortunately these questions stopped Grace from trying to remain inconspicuous and so she was spotted.

"The lady at the back of the room, take her to another room so that I can speak to her privately "he said. Several of the guards started moving towards her and she saw some of the villagers move to protect her. She sensed that this might cause a fight and people would get hurt.

"Don't do anything, I'll go with them" she said.

"Are you certain Grace?" Graham asked. Grace nodded.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself" she said. She walked towards the bandit leader.

"So your name is Grace. Well then Grace, follow me" he said. He then led her to a small office on the top floor of the town hall. He did not speak to during this time which left Grace to ponder why she had been singled out by him and what he wanted with her.

When inside the room he locked the door behind him. However there was another man inside with them. He turned around to look around at Grace and spotted the sword by her waist. He motioned to the other guy who then restrained Grace by pulling her arms behind her back. The leader then took her sword and studied it.

"Princess, for a minute I did not realise it was you" he said. Grace looked at him, baffled by what he had said.

"Excuse me? I think you have me confused with someone else" she said.

"No I don't think so" he said walking towards her. He then grabbed the fabric on the top of her head and pulled it off before taking a step back.

"Your hair is auburn, just like hers" he said.

"That doesn't prove anything" she spat at him.

"I also know that your name was once Katie and you obviously have your mother's ferocity. She was also known for being fierce with words" he said.

"How do you know that?" she asked, shocked.

"I read your mind, you really need to tone down how much you think it betrays you" he said. Grace simply glared at him, how dare he read her mind.

"Now you're angry at me, good. It will make it easier to taint your pure heart" he said. Grace's mouth fell open and she stared at him, shocked at his statement. Not only did the princess have a pure heart but these people wanted to taint it. She hoped that they never found her.

"How can you read my mind?" she asked him.

"It was gift from the dark wizard Dracona when I agreed to join him. He rewards those that are loyal to him and punishes those that betray him" he said.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is of no importance but I am one of his advisors and it was my idea to try and find the princess. Also it was my idea to taint her pure heart" he said.

"But why? What does that achieve?" she asked.

"If her heart has been tainted then the prophecy cannot come true" he explained.

"Prophecy?" she asked.

"Ah, you have not heard of it. Well then I shall not tell you" he replied. Grace glared at him.

Back in the main room the rest of the townsfolk were worried about what had happened to Grace. They know they have to send someone to the palace to get help but whom. The person would have to be small to squeeze underneath the men guarding the room and the rest of them would to create a distraction first. It was then that Graham noticed the small boy who had stolen a loaf of bread from his stall a few days ago and realised he would be perfect. He then motioned to the others and told them his plan. At first they didn't like it, could they trust him, after all he was a thief. Graham then explained that right now they did not have a choice, that there was a time and place for squabbles over thievery and it was not here and now. And so the plan was set and then executed. One of the other people pretended to be ill and called over the guards. The boy then slipped out and started running as fast as he could to get to the royal palace. He ran through the woods that surrounded the royal palace and by the time he got there he was time he got there he was tired and out of breath. The guards at the entrance recognised the boy as well known thief.

"Come to hand yourself have you?" one of them asked.

"No, the townsfolk are in trouble, they are being held in the town hall" he said panting for breath. At first they didn't believe him but then they realised that he wouldn't have run the whole way if it wasn't true.

"You'd better come with me then" one of them said and then he led the boy to the King and Queen who were in the library. They were shocked when they heard what was happening and immediately ordered for the royal guards to be sent to help them. The young boy went back with them.

Back at the town hall Grace was still being interrogated by the leader. He had pulled her sword out of its scabbard and Grace could now see that its name was imprinted on the side of the sword. Grace glared at him and he noticed this.

"Oh, do you want me to put it down?" he said. She did not reply. He walked towards her and he let the sword blade touch her shoulder.

"What do you know about this sword?" he asked her.

"I know that I want it back because it's a family heirloom" she replied. Her voice was angry and he knew she meant it.

"Its name is Ceartas" he said.

"Which means justice, I know" she said.

"Do you know the story behind the name?" he asked her.

"No, and I don't really care right now" she said. She then slammed her foot down on the foot of the man who was holding her arms behind her which caused him to yelp in pain and let go of her. She then turned around and punched him in the head, knocking him out. She then found the fabric the leader had pulled off her head and tied it on an again while the leader looked on stunned. She turned to face the leader.

"I suggest you give me my sword back unless you want to end up like your friend there" she said pointing to the unconscious man. The leader stared at her and wordlessly handed the sword and scabbard back to her, fearing for his life. Grace noticed his tenseness.

"He's only unconscious, not dead" she said. She tied the scabbard around her waist and then left the room with her sword poised for action in case she met any resistance. However she did not need to worry, any person she came across she either disarmed with ease and they fled or they fled from the ferocity in her eyes. By the time she reached the main room where the others were all the guards had fled and they had then run into the royal guards from the palace. They were promptly captured and locked in the dungeon of the palace. A few of the royal guards returned to the town hall to tell the towns folk what had happened. When they arrived the townsfolk told them of how Grace had driven off the bandits and then looked around to find her but she was nowhere to be found. She had slipped out once she knew the people were ok so that she could return home with Midnight, she had been gone too long and not achieved her objective. The unconscious man was found in the office but the leader had disappeared without a trace.

When she arrived home after putting Midnight back in the stable she found the Baron, Baroness, Geraldeen and Esmerelda waiting in the entrance hall.

"Grace your back, he heard about what happened in town, are you okay? they didn't hurt you did they?" Esmerelda exclaimed.

"No, I'm fine, they were just looking for someone and they I was her, Princess Katie" Grace replied. They all sighed and then Grace went to her room to start working on the dresses.


	10. 1: Chapter Eight

**A.N: I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter written but while I was doing this chapter I was also planning ahead by writing a brief description so that I know what is going to happen in subsequent chapters. I will get the next chapter done as soon as possible. Without further adieu, the second ball. Please review.**

**Chapter Eight**

The next day was very warm and so Grace decided to wear a shorter skirt that was knee length and had no petticoats underneath in order to stop herself getting too hot. The second ball was that evening and so Grace knew that later she would be helping Esmerelda and Geraldeen prepare for it. She decided to spend the morning and half the afternoon continuing with the dress she had started the previous evening, Esmerelda's. Grace enjoyed making dresses for Geraldeen and Esmerelda, to her they were family and she felt as if she were repaying them for including her in lessons and family events. There was a special room in the mansion where Grace made dresses. It had been set up when she had started dress making. The previous evening she had started cutting the material but had stopped when her eyes had started drooping. She continued this until five o'clock in the evening. This was when she knew her attention was required elsewhere and so she headed to help Esmerelda's room to help her get ready for the ball.

When she got there she knocked on the door and Esmerelda opened it.

"Come on in" Esemerelda said. Grace nodded and walked in. Esmerelda's room was simple and no lavishly decorated. There was a large four poster bed with curtains around it. There was an open wardrobe opposite the bed which Esmerelda was looking inside. Inside there were dresses in a variety of different colours, some of them pale whilst others were dark. There were dresses for cold weather and hot weather. Grace also looked at the dresses and found one that she thought would be perfect for that particular evening. The skirt had fewer layers of petticoats and the sleeves would only cover her shoulders. The colour of the dress was lilac and went with her eyes and hair very well.

"Have you decided upon a dress for tonight?" Grace asked.

"No and I want to look my best for John" Esmerelda replied.

"I don't think he will care what you're wearing; he will think you're beautiful no matter what but can I make a suggestion?" Grace asked. Esmerelda nodded.

"I think you should wear this one" she said, picking out the lilac dress. Esmerelda smiled at her.

"It's perfect" she said. Grace then helped dress her in it. Afterwards she put a small amount of makeup on her face and then piled her hair on her head before tying it with a lilac ribbon that matched her dress. Grace then stood back to allow Esmerelda to stand and look at herself in the mirror. Esmerelda was shocked.

"Is that me?" she asked. Grace nodded and smiled.

"Yes, look at yourself, you're beautiful" Grace said. Esmerelda smiled and her cheeks glowed. Grace then left to help Geraldeen get ready.

When she got there she knocked on the door and Geraldeen opened it. She then moved aside to allow Grace to enter. The two of them stood in front of Geraldeen's open wardrobe. This wardrobe also contained dresses in a variety of colours. Once again Grace saw a dress that she thought would be perfect for Geraldeen for that evening. It was pale blue with a V neckline and short sleeves. The skirt had only a couple of layers of petticoats like Esmerelda's.

"I think you should wear this one" she said, pulling the dress out the wardrobe and handing it to Geraldeen. Geraldeen examined it for a few moments.

"I agree with you" she said. Grace then dressed her in it. Afterwards she applied a small amount of makeup and then tied her hair in a simple ponytail with matching ribbon. Her dress was edged with ribbon that was darker than the dress. Esmerelda's dress was also edged with darker a purple ribbon. Grace stepped back, allowing Geraldeen to stand up. Geraldeen saw herself in the mirror and gasped at what was looking back at her. Standing in the mirror was a beautiful woman and it was her. Grace smiled at her and she went to meet the Baron, Baroness and Esmerelda at the entrance. The Baron was wearing a simple suit and the Baroness was wearing a short sleeved too, skirt and long sleeved Jacket that was light pink. The family then left at half six to head to the palace. Grace watched this from on upstairs window and then headed to the stables.

When she got there she found Christabelle already there and she had already made the transportation. There was a carriage that looked exactly the same as two nights ago with two horses in the harnesses. Grace was a little surprised.

"You're a little early" Grace said.

"I come early so that we can get you there on time and not make a scene" Christabelle explained.

"Before you change my dress again, I need to ask you a question. All of the transformed items changed back but the shoes didn't disappear, why?" she asked.

"The shoes are magical but they weren't transformed, they were made by fairy's for you" Christabelle replied.

"For me?" Grace asked. Christabelle nodded and stopped Grace before she asked another question. There would be a time for explaining things but it was not then.

She pointed her wand at Grace, enveloping her in light. When the light faded Grace was wearing a green dress with off the shoulder straps. The dress was covered with purple flowers that were sewn onto the fabric. The straps had crocheted flowers sewn on them and she had a headband with crochet flowers on it on her head. Grace then took off her shoes and opened the box with her silver shoes in it that she had grabbed from her room just before going outside. The skirt was slender and full length with a couple of layers of petticoats to give the dress form. The mask on her face was green with purple flowers like her dress. She then went to the carriage to get into it.

"Remember, you have to leave by twelve fifteen" Christabelle said to Grace as she was getting into the carriage. Grace nodded and then climbed into the carriage before it set off to the palace.

An hour later she arrived she could see that people were still arriving and so when she entered she would not cause a disturbance like two nights previously. She got out the carriage and followed everyone else in. When she got to the stairs she stood at the top for a moment and then walked down them. She could see Rick standing by the stairs waiting at the bottom for her. He extended his hand to her.

"Kay lovely to see you again" he said.

"Nice to see you Rick" she said back to him.

"May I?" he asked, his hand still extended.

"Of course" she said, taking his hand. He then led her to the dance floor as people were still coming in through the entrance of the ballroom. Gentle music was playing in the background, being played by the orchestra. The two of them started dancing and Grace found the music calming.

"Part of me thought you might not come tonight" he said.

"Why would you think that?" she asked him.

"You did leave much earlier than everyone else" he replied.

"I needed to be home by midnight is there something wrong with that?" she asked him. Rick shook his head. The two of them continued dancing in silence for several minutes.

"By the way, I love your dress; it makes you look like a beautiful garden" he said.

"Thank you" she said, as she felt her cheeks blush. As they twirled she could see Esmerelda with John and Geraldeen with Peter. When the clock showed nine o'clock Kay decided it was time to stop and curtsied to Rick before going to the refreshment table to get a drink. After that she went and sat down at a table to watch the dancing while she had her drink.

As she was doing this she heard giggling to the left of her and when she looked she saw a group of young women in very frilly dresses despite the heat and it looked like they were gossiping about something. This was something that she loathed but she decided to listen to find out what they were talking about.

"Did you hear about what happened in the town north of here? A group of bandits took the people hostage looking for a woman, a princess Katie or something like that" a woman in bright pink dress said. The other women gasped in surprise.

"No way, really?" a woman in a bright orange dress said.

"Why on earth would they want to do that, in a small, smelly place like that? Surely it would have been better doing that in the capital" a woman in a bright yellow dress said. The first part of that comment make Kay think that maybe these women were not as bad as she thought but then the second part confused her. But what was said next confused her even more.

"I would love to have been there, it sounds like it might have been exciting" a woman in a green dress said.

"Why would anyone one to go through that?" Kay thought to herself. It was traumatising for all the townsfolk.

"And I also heard that the bandits were scared off by a sword wielding lady in a bandana and trousers" the woman in the pink dress said. Kay's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"They make it sound like a bad thing" she thought.

"Really, how strange and unfeminine, sword fighting and wearing trousers" the woman in the orange dress said. Kay was starting to get angry.

"I know, a lady should never wear trousers and as for sword fighting. It is not done by a woman, she should have sat and waited to be rescued, that's what I would have done" the woman in the green dress said. At this point Kay's blood was beginning to boil, how dare they judge her. So they didn't know it was her but still how could they judge someone they did not know. Had they tried sword fighting in a skirt, it was not easy. She was about to get up and give them a piece of her mind when she saw someone else get there first, the Queen. She had been dancing with her husband when she had overheard their conversation and she too had become angry and decided to do something about it. She approached the ladies.

"Ladies, may I have a word with you?" she asked.

"Your majesty" the ladies said whilst curtsying.

"I could not help overhearing your conversation and I would like to tell you that I find your behaviour disgusting and rude; gossiping about something when you were not even present. What that young woman did was extremely brave and courageous, standing up to those thugs to protect the people that she cares about. Also there is nothing in the law that says a woman cannot wear trousers or learn to use a sword. If I hear you gossiping like that again you will be barred from the rest of the celebrations, do I make myself clear?" the Queen asked them.

"Yes your majesty" the women said, downheartedly. During this time the orchestra had stopped playing and the dancers were now stood completely still. Kay had to stop herself from laughing, not only had the Queen told them off, she had done so publicly, embarrassing and humiliating them. The Queen walked away with Grace and dignity and sat down on her throne. A few moments later the music started again only this time it was sombre and depressing. After Kay finished her drink she got up and decided to talk to the Queen.

She approached the throne and curtsied.

"Your majesty, I would like to say that the decorations here are absolutely beautiful" she said.

"Thank you, young lady. What is your name my dear?" the Queen said.

"Kay, your majesty. Thank you, for standing up for me" Kay replied.

"That was you" the Queen said, quietly, so as not to be heard. Kay nodded and then curtsied before leaving. She then realised the music was depressing and needed to be cheered up. She thought for a minute and then remembered a piece of music that she had loved in her childhood and that her mother had taught her a dance for before she had died. She then spoke to one of the violinist to ask if he knew how to play this piece of music. She then found out that he too loved this particular piece of music as did the rest of the orchestra who agreed to play it after the next dance. And so she waited.

After the next dance had finished the conductor asked the dances to clear the floor. Grace then walked to the idle of the dance floor. As she did this she felt something changing. The heels of her shoes were shrinking and the soles were becoming soft so as to allow her to dance more effectively. Also the skirt of her dress was becoming shorter until it was only knee length. She heard some gasps from the viewers at the sides but she didn't care, anyway this dance was easier to do in a shorter skirt. When she got to the middle of the floor she nodded to the conductor who nodded to the violinist to start playing. The music started off slow and so her movements started off slow and deliberate. The music then sped up after roughly half a minute and so her dancing became faster to match the new pace. There was another point where the music changed and once again so did her dance. There was a point when she was twirling around repeatedly but not so much that she was getting dizzy. When she finished her dance her arms were bent gracefully above her head and she was stood on the balls of her feet. When she was finished there was a huge round of applause and she gave a sweeping bow before pointing to the orchestra. As the song had moved along more members of the orchestra had joined in. The orchestra then stood up and bowed. Kay then left the dance floor and made her way to Rick. For a few minutes he didn't say anything because he was shocked. Then he found his voice again.

"That was incredible, where did you learn that dance?" he asked.

"My mother, she taught me a few years ago" she replied.

"Wow, I would love to meet her" he said. She looked down at her feet.

"Unfortunately that won't be possible, she died eight years ago" Kay told him, a look of sadness on her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry" he said. Kay shook her head.

"It's okay, there will always be a part of her with me and the family that took me in is really nice. So I have revealed more about myself it seems but for now I will stop" she said.

"Well I was going to ask who the family are that took you in but instead I will settle for asking you for a dance" he said.

"That I can agree to" she said. The two of them then walked to the dance floor as the orchestra started playing a lively tune. Because of Kay's soft shoes her feet did not make a sound as she moved to the music. The dancing then continued until just before eleven o'clock in the evening when she decided she needed to sit down for a couple of minutes.

A couple of minutes later she was approached by a group of women wearing simple dresses that were also elegant.

"Can I help you?" Kay asked them. One lady, who was obviously the leader, stepped forward from the group.

"We just wanted to congratulate you on your spectacular performance of the dance you did. I believe its called The Coast of Galicia was it not?" the lady asked. Kay nodded and looked at them with curiosity.

"We were wondering if you know of a similar dance called Siamsa" the lady said. Kay thought for a few moments.

"Siamsa, yes she had heard of it. It was a group dance that she had learned when she was younger" she thought.

"Would you perform it with us?" the lady asked. Kay nodded and stood up/ the magic that had transformed her dress then extended to the other ladies dresses making them shorter and softening their shoes. They all moved towards the dance floor which then cleared of people when they saw her. The partners of the joined them on the floor and Rick also decided to join them. Each partner was wearing a suit matching the lady's dress. Kay spoke to the orchestra who readily agreed to her request. The dancers then left the dance floor to leave it empty as the first part of the dance was the dancers running gracefully onto the stage. When the music started that was what happened. The music was broken down into five segments with the second and fourth being the same but the dances at these points were different. The last segment was similar to the first but at a pace that started off slow and then sped up gradually until it was quite fast. The dance itself was lively and cheerful and involved numerous points of partner changes. There were also points when each person was dancing alone and points when they were as a group. Each person's movement was in time with everyone else's; it was as if they had rehearsed it hundreds of times. Once the dance ended there was a round of applause with some cheering. The dancers bowed and left the dance floor. Siamsa was what some would call a peasant dance due to its lively nature whilst some of the dances of the nobility could be sombre and dull. Kay looked up and saw that the time was already eleven fifteen and so time to leave.

During the journey home she contemplated the event of that night. She was now fairly certain that the women who had approached her about the dance were peasant women and this gave her hope, she was not the only one who was not nobility at the balls. There was also Rick to think about, she was really starting to like him. He was sweet, kind and had not shown any signs of being chauvinistic. But then there was the man she had met in town who had invited her to the ball called Richard and she had not him for several days. However something told her she would see him again. She was also confused about the magic that had not only transformed her dress and shoes but also those of the ladies who had danced with her. She would have to ask Christabelle about it when she next saw her. When she arrived home the magic wore off and Grace went to her room and fell into bed.

**A.N: The first piece of music is The Coast of Galicia by Celtic Woman and the second is Siamsa from Lord of the Dance.**


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